Harvard voters say no to fluoride

It’s an issue we saw a lot of cities vote on back in 2008. Fluoridating city water supplies.

Well, 4 years later, the small town of Harvard, Nebraska is dealing with it now.

And, they don’t want it.

“I mean we’re so uncertain what’s in our water today anyway. I just think adding more additives and more additives is not a safe practice,” said Rita Mach, Harvard Resident.

Voters in Harvard said no to fluoridating their water. 76% to 24%.

“I just didn’t feel that, that was necessary,” said another Harvard Resident.

But, most dentists say it is.

“Fluoride is one of the most critical preventive steps we have as a dental profession,” said Dr. Gary Lehn, Dentist.

So critical that Nebraska state law requires all towns over 1-thousand to fluoridate their water supplies.

The quiet town of Harvard just hit that mark.

There is a way out though.

If a majority of voters choose not to add the mineral to the city water supply.

“I just worry about the safety about what it does to your health.”

Harvard water supply has point- zero- three parts per million naturally occurring. The ideal level of fluoride is point- zero-seven. So, when it’s, we have water that is optimally fluoridated, you have a continual exposure in the mouth to really benefit your oral health and your overall systemic health,” said Dr. Lehn.

But, many residents want to know how much is too much?

“It is well, well below any affects we would see that would cause systemic issues,” said Dr. Lehn.

There were a lot of unknowns to the residents of Harvard.

Most people told me they didn’t know about the vote on fluoride until days before the election.

“I feel that probably that might have been a big part of why they just voted against it, because they just don’t know enough about it,” said Mach.